Tokyo Olympics: Nigeria guaranteed medal as Oborududu qualifies for wrestling final

Team Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu has qualified for the final in the women’s 68kg wrestling event at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics.

Oborududu on Monday defeated Mongolia’s Battsetseg Soronzobold 7-2 in the semi-final to advance to the final.

Her qualification assures Team Nigeria a silver or gold medal at the ongoing games.

The 32-year-old wrestler will face Tamyra Mensah-Stock of the US in the final, billed for Tuesday at a yet-to-be-fixed time.

Oborududu beat Elis Manolova of Azerbaijan 13-2 in the round of 16, dominating the Azerbaijani freestyle wrestler to secure such a high margin.

Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova proved a harder wrestler to crack in the quarter-final as she put up a strong challenge. Still, the Nigerian eventually won 3-2 to advance to her first Olympic semi-final.

This will be the fourth final that the Nigerian contingents will be participating in at the 32nd Olympiad.

Ese Brume will represent the country in the final in the women’s Long Jump on Tuesday.

Odunayo Adekuoroye, inspired by a newly won World Wrestling Championship, is also one of Nigeria’s medal prospects once she gets underway in the women’s 57kg wrestling event.